SR-16 MIDI info is not syncing correctly

[Henry]

Greetings all,
Now I'm attempting use my SR-16 drum machine as a step pattern editor triggering the drums on the HD8.

However, the MIDI data seems to be incorrectly passed between the two units. I have tried just about everything I can think of and I was hoping someone may have dealt with this before and has the workaround.

The SR-16 synch's fine to my Yamaha keyboard. I can play the patterns on the SR-16 and they trigger the sounds on the Yamaha but not on the HD8.

Thanks in advance,
Henry

[eskimo]

You don't state what O.S. you are using. Try the most recent O.S. update (1.24 I think), perhaps this could be the answer. Most importantly, let us know how you get on, and if and how you resolved this issue. Kind regards

[richey51]

Hi Henry

The latest OS update Which is v1.24 takes care of midi sync problems . In fact that is the bug fix this version addreses.


Let us know how things turn out !!

[Henry]

Thanks for the input colleagues,

However, I am at version 1.24 of the OS and I still cannot get this function to work properly. I have also attempted to use my Yamaha d-50 (I think that's correct) drum pad and it does not synch correctly either. When I connect either of these devices to my Yamaha DGX-200 they work flawlessly with the same MIDI cables etc.

I have tried as many possible combinations of connections and MIDI configurations as I can think of and it still doesn't work. In addition, I seem to have a latency issue when attempting to trigger sounds on the fusion with either of these devices.

I will continue to work on this and relate any info to the forum.

BTW, I am a computer system administrator at a large university and I have been using MIDI since the 80's. Yamaha V-50 was my first workstation and I miss it so! Just telling you guys so you know I'm not quite an idiot!!! HA!!!

Thanks,
Henry
www.tngacoustic.com

[ajmuso]

this sounds like a manifestation of something i have seen..

i have had problems getting my fusion to respond to midi in correctly from various devices..

I have done extensive testing, and will get a note off to Alesis soon hopefully..

If you suffer from poor response (as in hit a drum pad 5 times and you get only one sound from the fusion) then I think you have seen this little issue.

I am getting it when i try to use my yamaha DD50 as a midi input ( it works fine on other keyboards), and also if i use the pads on my Zoom MRS1608CD..

strangely the fusion works perfectly with a Roland V drum.

must get my ass into gear and tell Alesis, never know there may be a simple solution..


cheers

[Hollow Sun]

ajmuso said:

this sounds like a manifestation of something i have seen..

i have had problems getting my fusion to respond to midi in correctly from various devices..

I have done extensive testing, and will get a note off to Alesis soon hopefully..

If you suffer from poor response (as in hit a drum pad 5 times and you get only one sound from the fusion) then I think you have seen this little issue.

I am getting it when i try to use my yamaha DD50 as a midi input ( it works fine on other keyboards), and also if i use the pads on my Zoom MRS1608CD..

strangely the fusion works perfectly with a Roland V drum.

No problem here - MPC1000 MIDI out to Fusion MIDI in... MPC pads play Fusion just dandy - in fact, I use this to program drum patterns (pads seem better than a keyboard for this).

Just checked it in fact - works fine... so I can't imagine what the problem might be.


Steve

[jiffy]

Henry said:

Greetings all,
Now I'm attempting use my SR-16 drum machine as a step pattern editor triggering the drums on the HD8.

However, the MIDI data seems to be incorrectly passed between the two units. I have tried just about everything I can think of and I was hoping someone may have dealt with this before and has the workaround.

The SR-16 synch's fine to my Yamaha keyboard. I can play the patterns on the SR-16 and they trigger the sounds on the Yamaha but not on the HD8.

Thanks in advance,
Henry

Hello Henry,

I dug out my SR-16 to try some expiments!

When you say it is not syncing correctly, do you mean that you are using a midi clock to run them together (ie. keep them in time), or are you just linking the two units together to use the SR-16 as a drum pad, and sending midi note data to the Fusion?

I'm taking it that you are simply using the SR-16 as a drum pad to trigger drum sounds on the Fusion.

If you are getting no drum sounds at all, you need to set DRUM OUT to ON, and MIDI THRU to off in the midi set up of the SR-16.

OK, so you've already done that!

If you are getting intermittent drums from the Fusion, then it is both the SR-16 and the Fusion at fault.

During my experimentation, I tried sending both drum pad and drum pattern data from the SR-16 to the Fusion with mixed results. ie. intermittent drum sounds.

I then did the same again, but this time recorded the data in Sonar (PC sequencer s/w).
Sonar did record all the data, but when played back to the Fusion, I was back to intermittent drum sounds again.
The funny thing was, I could play the sequence back from Sonar, and each time the Fusion would play back with diffent drums missing!

When I examined the data in Sonar, some of the note lengths were zero, and when I increased this to a value of 1, all drum sound played back consistently on the Fusion.

I then recorder the midi data from the SR-16 in to the Fusion sequencer, and played it back - got internittent drum sounds.
I examined the data - some of the note lengths had a value of 1, and wouldn't play (sometimes!).
When I went through and changed all the note lengths to a value of 2, everything was then OK.

So, it appears that the Fusion doesn't like receiving note lengths of zero (which it seems to convert to 1), but the SR-16 sometimes sends zero note length data, so you're knackered, unless you want to go through all the data on your Fusion drum track, changing all the note lengths to a value bigger that 1!

It seems strange that these two items, both from Alesis, won't work together, but I think it could be cured if the Fusion had a minimum note length of 2, rather that its current length of 1.

Hope that helps,

Paul

[markone]

The fusion isn't alone in this. I have a Yamaha sound module that doesn't cope with zero note length data. I have also discovered at least one VSTi that also doesn't cope with it.

Looks like one of those ambiguous parts of the MIDI spec.

It's not surprising that products from the same company have different implementations. the design teams were probably completely different.

But Yeh, it would be nice if the fusion's MIDI implementation were more tolerent.

[Hollow Sun]

markone said:

It's not surprising that products from the same company have different implementations. the design teams were probably completely different.

And spaced apart by 12 years!!!!!!


Steve

[jiffy]

Yeah, alright, point taken

[Henry]

Thanks guys,
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one dealing with this issue. I really like the drum sounds on the Fusion but I guess I'll have to get a more compatible set of triggers or a friendlier drum machine if I want to use the fusion. sounds.

Special thanks to ajmuso,markone and jiffy!
Henry

[ajmuso]

Well if we know what causes it , then at least it should be "fixable", allthough strictly speaking its not a bug, (more a strangeness of the general midi spec) , Im going to email the details to Alesis.. and see what they say....

cheers